Safety before paperwork
Keep away from fallen power lines and anything touching them. Stay out of rooms where the ceiling sags, and switch off at the switchboard if water is near lights or power points. Leave the roof alone, tarping included, because insurers can often arrange that. For urgent storm help call the SES on 132 500, and 000 if anyone's life is at risk.
A storm claim, step by step
Make the house safe, then record it
Moneysmart says to take photos and video of the damage before you move anything. Shoot the roof and gutters from the ground, every room where water got in, and any fallen tiles, sheets or branches.
Call the insurer
As soon as practical, even before you know the full extent. Write down the claim number and the name of the person you spoke to.
Ask about emergency repairs
Talk to them before paying for a tarp or temporary fix. Many insurers can arrange it, and if they ask you to organise it, keep every receipt.
Get the cause in writing
Have a licensed roofer inspect and write down what the storm broke and what was already worn, with photos from the roof. Our page on roof reports covers what a good one includes.
Be there for the assessor
Walk them through your photos and the roofer's report. Ask what they'll recommend, and when you'll hear back.
Sign nothing until the insurer agrees
The Insurance Council of Australia says to speak to your insurer before signing a repair contract, or the cost may not be covered. Once repairs are approved, get the contract in writing.
Storm damage or wear and tear?
This is the question most roof claims turn on. Moneysmart says most home insurance covers storms, including damage from wind, rainwater and hail. It also says a claim may be hard to get approved if the home wasn't looked after, and that you might not claim at all for normal wear and tear.
Investigations after big storms show why insurers ask. After Cyclones Ingrid and Monica, Northern Territory reports found wind failures were generally linked to older buildings not built to current codes, fixings that had deteriorated through lack of maintenance, or poor construction on newer homes. In Western Australia, a Building and Energy investigation found about half the roofs lost in Perth storms were lightweight metal sheeting that had replaced heavy tile or asbestos roofing.
A roofer's report that separates fresh storm damage from older wear helps you even when part of the roof turns out not to be covered, because the storm damage is then clear and hard to argue with.
How long should it take?
Many insurers have signed up to the General Insurance Code of Practice, a voluntary code written by the Insurance Council of Australia. Under it, Moneysmart says, the insurer will respond to your claim within 10 business days, give you an update at least every 20 business days and, apart from a few circumstances, decide within 4 months of receiving it.
If things go quiet, ask in writing where your claim is up to and when you can expect a decision.
If you're offered cash instead of repairs
Get your own roofer's quote for the full job before agreeing. Moneysmart warns a cash settlement may not cover what the repair actually costs, you'll be organising the work yourself, and your builder's warranty takes the place of the lifetime guarantee often offered on repairs the insurer manages.
If the claim is denied, or you disagree
Read the written reasons
Moneysmart says the insurer must tell you in writing which part of the claim wasn't accepted, why, that you can ask for the reports they relied on, and how to complain.
Ask for their reports
Once you ask, they must send them within 10 business days. Compare what their assessor saw with what your roofer found.
Complain to the insurer in writing
Set out why you disagree and attach your photos and the roofer's report. This formal written complaint is the insurer's internal dispute process.
Take it to AFCA
If the insurer doesn't resolve it, the Australian Financial Complaints Authority is an independent scheme that considers insurance complaints. Moneysmart says external schemes like it hear complaints for free.
Ask for a review if you settled fast
Moneysmart says if a natural disaster claim was finalised within one month of the event, you can ask for a review within 12 months of finalisation if you think your loss wasn't fully or accurately assessed, even if you agreed to the settlement.
Door-knockers after a storm
Expect them. The Insurance Council warns that 'disaster chasers' may claim to have found damage, offer quick repairs or say they represent an insurer, and are often unlicensed. An uninvited door-to-door roofing deal normally comes with a 10 business day cooling-off period under the Consumer Law. Our hail claims guide lists the warning signs.
There's one exception to know about. Where a state of emergency has been declared for the area, urgent work to fix a hazard or prevent substantial damage can go ahead straight away under an 'emergency repair contract', but only if the law requires a licence for that work and the supplier holds it. So check the licence first. Our guide to checking a roofer's licence shows where to look.
What's on you, and what's on the roofer
You can
- Photos, video and a written timeline
- Calling the insurer and logging every conversation
- Keeping receipts for anything bought to protect the house
- Complaining in writing, then to AFCA, if you disagree
Leave to a roofer
- Tarping and make-safe work, once the insurer agrees
- A written report separating storm damage from wear
- A detailed quote for the repair
- The permanent repair once it's approved
What we'd do after a storm
We'd make the house safe, take photos before touching anything, and ring the insurer the same day. Then we'd get a licensed roofer to write down what the storm did and what was already there, because that's the question the claim turns on. Keep everything in writing, and if the answer comes back no, ask for their reports before deciding whether to complain.
Want a roofer to take a look?
Tell us the job and your postcode. We match it with a Find My Roofer certified roofer who specialises in that kind of work, and they call you to quote. Your number goes to them alone.